Easter is the biggest Christian festival. On Easter Sunday, the Easter riders set out in processions to proclaim the joyful message of the resurrection of Christ.
The riders (in Sorbian "křižerjo" = Cross Riders) circle the local church, the cemetery, and especially the surrounding fields with their festively decorated horses. They sing in Sorbian language and pray for a good year and blessings for the young crop. This living tradition has been maintained in Bautzen and the surrounding area for many centuries and, after interruptions, is now once again a fixed part of life in the Sorbian Catholic community in Bautzen.
The traditional highlight of the Easter festival in Bautzen begins on Sunday promptly at 10:30 a.m. with the ride out of the Easter riders at the Frauenkirche. Surrounded by tens of thousands of people along the streets, the Bautzen Easter riders carry the message of the resurrection of Christ from Bautzen Cathedral over the Peace Bridge and Schmoler Weg to the neighboring church communities of Temritz, Kleinseidau, Kleinwelka, Cölln and Radibor, where they are expected at 12:15 p.m. At 2:45 p.m., the Easter riders start their return journey via Bornitz, Lubachau, Teichnitz, and around 4:30 p.m. return after a strenuous ride via Seidau, at the Nikolaifriedhof to Bautzen Cathedral St. Petri.